A former Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Okoya Adeniyi has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to assume full responsibility for processing Hajj and Umrah visas to curb rising costs.
Describing the current situation as unacceptable, he said Umrah visa fees have surged to about ₦1.5 million for a single entry, a burden many pilgrims can no longer afford. He argued that NAHCON, as the official liaison between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage matters, should work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to negotiate more affordable rates with Saudi authorities.
His call received backing from a former Executive Secretary of the Benue State Muslim Pilgrims Board Mallam Alhassan who recalled that during the leadership of Mohammed Bello and Abdullahi Mukhtar at NAHCON, the commission handled visa processing for state officials during pre-Hajj visits in collaboration with Saudi authorities.
He advised NAHCON to “wake up” and act quickly to stop travel agents from exploiting pilgrims and prevent a repeat of the current situation.
